When we first got our dog, I was concerned about her hair sticking to our new couch and our clothing. Not knowing as much as I do now about toxic products, I picked up a bottle of Static Guard, hoping I could spray it on the couch and clothing and maybe keep them a little cleaner (big mistake!).

Not too long after, I looked up the ingredients and was horrified to find that it rates as an F on EWG’s product rating system, which is the worst rating a product could get! I decided immediately that I wouldn’t use it and would need to find an alternative.

I stumbled upon a lady who was using a bottle of witch hazel as a static spray. I tried it, and it worked! I added essential oils to make it smell nicer and for all the additional properties such as being antiviral, antibacterial, and soothing to the skin. (I never saved that original post that I saw all those years ago, so please note, I am not the first to come up with this idea!)

While I never did end up using this is a spray for reducing dog hair on our couch specifically, it worked amazingly for static-y clothes coming out of the dryer! I always have a bottle of this on hand now. I simply spray it on the items and the static instantly disappears. And as for our couch, I just vacuum it regularly and move on! 🙂 I do like to spray it on the couch occasionally as a fabric refresher and antibacterial spray. If you have a dog, then you know that they get into all kinds of things! Though we do our best to keep her as clean as possible, there’s only so much you can do 🙂

Believe it or not, I’m pretty sure plain water would work for this well, because any kind of moisture will take away static. However, I like to use witch hazel since it is more shelf stable than just water (unless you’re using distilled water), and the witch hazel makes it a more of a multipurpose spray.

I originally posted this recipe on my family’s essential oils website. You can see that original post here, which is also where I shared how I made the bottle label shown in my pictures.

Uses For This Spray

This is a multipurpose spray because it can be used for several other things in addition to a static spray for laundry. Here are some other uses for it:

Pillow spray– Adding lavender to the witch hazel makes for a great calming pillow spray to help you fall asleep! Both lavender and witch hazel are great for skin care.
Face toner– Witch hazel makes a great face toner, and the added essential oils can help fight acne, improve skin cell regeneration, and soothe redness. See below for my recipe recommendations for that!
Linen spray/upholstery spray/shoe spray– Refresh linens around your home with your favourite essential oils! The essential oils will help combat any odor-causing bacteria. The scent will be gentle and eventually dissipate.

How to Properly Dilute the Essential Oils

When using essential oils, you always want to make sure they are properly diluted. Essential oils are potent and very concentrated! The dilution rate that is best for most people is 2%. A 1% dilution is best for children, around pets, during pregnancy, and anyone with really sensitive skin. Here’s a quick reference for the correct amount of drops to use for those dilutions:

2% dilution: 12 drops of essential oils per 1 oz of carrier liquid
1% dilution: 6 drops of essential oils per 1 oz of carrier liquid
This means that for 8 oz of liquid, which is equal to 1 cup, you can do up to 96 drops of essential oils for a 2% dilution (8 oz x 12 drops = 96 drops).

The Recipes (4 Multipurpose Uses)

All of these can be used for a static spray, but if you want to use it as a face toner as well, then I suggest to use one with essential oil combinations that are best suited for skincare:

Static Spray

Citrus oils really brighten the scent of witch hazel and make it more fresh! I recommend either lemon, orange, or lime. I love them combined with lavender!

1 cup of witch hazel
20 drops lime essential oil (or lemon or orange)
10 drops lavender essential oil

Static Spray- version 2

Witch hazel on its own smells a bit smokey/woody. I find this pairs really well with lemongrass! This combination can also work as a gentle bug repellent.

1 cup witch hazel
30 drops lemongrass essential oil

Face Toner Spray

Frankincense essential oil can help boost cell regeneration and reduce dark pigmentation. Lavender is soothing and anti-inflammatory, while tea tree helps with bacteria than can cause acne. To use as a face toner, mist lightly on the skin after cleansing, or add some to a cotton ball and wipe across the face.

1 cup witch hazel
5 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops frankincense essential oil
5 drops tea tree essential oil

Upholstery Spray or Shoe Deodorizer

This combination of essential oils is well-known to help deodorize odors! The addition of tea tree makes it great for a shoe spray, since it is antifungal and antimicrobial.

1 cup witch hazel
5 drops tea tree essential oil
10 drops lemon essential oil
10 drops rosemary essential oil
5 drops lavender essential oil

A few helpful tips

Always make sure to shake your bottle before each use to disperse the essential oils!
To customize the scent: I generally find that around 30 drops of essential oils works well, but if you prefer a stronger scent, you can increase the amount up to 96 drops per 1 cup of witch hazel (or distilled water). Try it first with a lower amount, and only increase the drops if needed.
Sensitive skin: If you have really sensitive skin, you may want to start with a less than the 30 drops of essential oils as shown in the recipes. Be sure to do a spot test first, in case you are allergic or sensitive to any of the essential oils.
Prefer unscented?: Adding the essential oils is optional! You can use plain witch hazel as a static spray and skin toner. Make sure to buy witch hazel that is alcohol free + without additives.
Pets, children, pregnancy, & upholstery caution: Not all essential oils are safe for pets, children, or during pregnancy! Make sure to keep this in mind, and research the oils that you want to use if this spray will be used in this circumstances. Be cautious of some types of upholstery and delicate fabrics (refer to the product tag) and do a spot test in an inconspicuous area.

Equipment

1 spray bottle – amber glass is best

Ingredients

1 cup witch hazel alcohol free
30 drops essential oils choose between: lavender, orange, lemon, lime, frankincense, lemongrass, tea tree, rosemary

Instructions

Add 1 cup of witch hazel to your spray bottle.
Add the essential oils of your choice to the spray bottle and shake to combine. Give it a good shake before each use. Refer to the notes below for my recommended essential oils depending on how you want to use the spray.
See notes below for customizing the amount of essential oils.

Notes

Here are my recommendations for different essential oil combinations depending on your desired use:

Static Spray

20 drops lime essential oil (or lemon or orange)
10 drops lavender essential oil

Static Spray- version 2

30 drops lemongrass essential oil

Face Toner Spray

5 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops frankincense essential oil
5 drops tea tree essential oil

Upholstery Spray or Shoe Deodorizer

5 drops tea tree essential oil
10 drops lemon essential oil
10 drops rosemary essential oil
5 drops lavender essential oil

If you want to change the amount of essential oils, refer to this information for properly diluting them (my recipes above use 30 drops or less, which is well below the 96 drops maximum):

2% dilution (suitable for most people): 12 drops of essential oils per 1 oz of carrier liquid
1% dilution (most suitable for children, during pregnancy, for sensitive skin, and around pets): 6 drops of essential oils per 1 oz of carrier liquid
This means that for 8 oz of liquid, which is equal to 1 cup, you can do up to 96 drops of essential oils for a 2% dilution (8 oz x 12 drops = 96 drops).

If you make this recipe, I would love to hear how it goes! Feel free to leave a comment below. Don’t forget to save this post to Pinterest to refer back to!

DIY Static Spray (Multipurpose Spray)

Uses For This Spray

How to Properly Dilute the Essential Oils